God Shave the Queen

Oh dear oh dear oh dear.
So we start the new year (I've been busy) with a call to 'Britishness' by should-know-better Gordon Brown.
Apparently he'd like us all to fly the Union Jack in our gardens. The Welsh, of course, fared particularly badly in this botched piece of early graphic fascism, our national flag being entirely absent from this hallowed banner.
Which leaves us with the 'anthem' (I'm never too sure of which country) 'God Save the Queen/King'. Ask any Scot about the now often 'omitted' verse;
Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush, and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King.
Footnote. My microsoft spellchecker insists on replacing 'Britishness' with 'Brutishness'. No comment.

Noodle in a haystack

One should not, of course, hide one's trumpet under a bushell. Searching the Amazon webspots reveals that my 'flagship' book 'Legends of King Arthur Through the Ages' is now available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Amazon Japan, to name but a few.
I can't unfortunately tell if it's in stock in Amazon China, or joyo.com (isn't joyo Welsh for having fun?) as it's branded, simply because I can't understand erm, anything on the site.
How refreshing.

Cofiwch Dryweryn

The BBC today carries news that Liverpool Council may be about to apologise for the drowning of a Welsh valley. The valley, home to the Welsh-speaking community of Capel Celyn, was flooded in 1965 to create a reservoir to supply Liverpool with water.
The full sorry story can be read here, but there is a truism about a picture telling a thousand words which may be experienced here.

Sex on a bike

Which reminds me...
Nasa scientists have found that 10 minutes of pogoing on a trampoline a day is the most efficient form of exercise available to man. (or something similar)
I am often to be found (god help me) reliving my youth on my 'rebounder' to the tunes of a lost generation. My knees, however, have not forgiven me since I mistakenly enjoyed a session to the strains of the Clash's 'greatest hits'.
It's an exercise regime I recommend to all aging punks, with one caveat; be careful with 'White Riot', it still packs a punch.

Sham what, vicar?

Not quite sure what ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT, myself. So Tony 'dangerous' Blair chose Sham 69's 'Kids are United' as his walk-on music in the labour party conference. No doubt a nice dig at Gordon and co, and a very pleasant hi-energy powerpop song too, but Butlins have been running punk weekends for years now. Fifty year-old lead singer Jimmy Pursey was quoted...
Given the recent internal squabbles in the labour party leadership stakes maybe Wayne County and the Electric Chairs classic '(If you don't want to f*** me) f*** off' might have been a better choice.
Now that would have got my vote.

weekend gloating blog

It may not mean much to you, but then this isn't your blog. Hahaha.
Oh sorry, don't go. Didn't mean to offend you. Friends?
Anyway, (if you're still reading) I am at last appearing at amazon.com as a bona fide author. So it must be true.
Not amazon.co.uk, or any of their other sites, you understand. Just the granddaddy of the .com booksellers, not his offspring. Early days though, early days.
What am I going on about, is one possible response. Well, friend, my latest book (together with Lady Charlotte Guest and Sir James Knowles by the by) 'Legends of King Arthur Through the Ages' is available to buy at that very outslot.
If you drift my get.
Lovely cover too.

pudding and pie

Paul McKenna's TV show is, of course, a bonfire of delights. I can't help wondering if he could 'help' ex-hero and football legend George Best though, whose life seems to get grimmer with every passing tabloid.
Now that would be one interesting TV show...